Nikolaos Mihaloliakos appeared before a magistrates court and a prosecutor to respond to charges of founding and participating in a criminal organisation.

The decision to jail the party chief will be a boost for Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' efforts to clamp down on Golden Dawn after an alleged party sympathiser fatally stabbed an anti-fascism rapper last month.

Three senior members of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party barged their way from court after being freed following charges of belonging to a criminal group.

The party's spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris was released on bail of 50,000 euros and has been prevented from leaving the country. Ilias Panagiotaros and Nikos Michos were released with travel restrictions while a fourth member, Yannis Lagos, was sent to jail pending trial.

All four denied charges against them in a plea session before an investigating magistrate that lasted more than 18 hours.

The four men were arrested on Saturday along with party leader Nikolaos Mihaloliakos and other party members.